Advice or replacing timing belt?

hollie.weimeraner

Make sure the tensioner will be done as well. Some belt kits don't include the tensioner.

As stated above it's generally worthwhile changing the water pump at the same time as the belt will need removing if the water pump fails in future.

londonTiger

if youre fitting it yourself shop around and buy yourself obviously. if you're getting it fitted, go to a reputable garage. They will get parts cheaper than you can because they get trade discounts. also it's better to have the garage procure the parts because if things go wrong then it all comes down to the garage, if you give them your own parts they'll fob you off citing cheap uneliable parts.

Notmyrealname

You can change the belt alone which'll bring the cost down but then you usually find the tensioner/waterpump lets go not long after.

falko89

Ok I have phoned around today, One guy said when I am in that region I should get the fan belt replaced aswell is this true? All 3 garages said it would be cheaper for me to buy the stuff myself, and their work ranges from £95 - £120 to fit.

TrickyWicky

If the fan belt is near the cambelt then yes - good idea. I have a mate who scrimped on this and it snapped.. jumped in under the cambelt guard, and mangled his cambelt. The result? Foobar'd engine.

As for getting the stuff yourself, yes its cheaper but as I think someone else above said then it's down to you to sort out if it all goes belly up. You have to prove to the manufacturer that you used a competent mechanic etc for the warranty (eg if the cambelt snaps). If the spanner monkey supplies the parts then its all his problem.

Personally I have no issue supplying my own parts but be sure you use a decent spanner monkey falko - the last thing you need is a duff job and not being able to get to work!

Wongsky

hollie.weimeraner wrote: »

Make sure the tensioner will be done as well. Some belt kits don't include the tensioner.

As stated above it's generally worthwhile changing the water pump at the same time as the belt will need removing if the water pump fails in future.

For some vehicles, water pump failure / seizure is what takes out the cambelt.

Decent garages would normally check that things like the water pump (assuming it's driven from the cambelt) run free and smooth, as well as tensioners (assuming they're not being replaced) - but if you're doing everything down to the lowest cost, these things are worth consideration.

Wig

falko89 wrote: »

Is this gen Vauxhall or am I reading it wrong? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Timing-Belt-Kit-93191277-Fits-Astra-Signum-Vectra-Zafira-1-9D-8-Valve-/190662624437?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2c6460c4b5#ht_2560wt_1271

No, I wouldn't say they are genuine vauxhall GM parts. It is designed to be misleading. They say "GM parts numbers are for reference only."

I know they also say "original equipment" but that could mean anything and I doubt you would have any comeback when you get sent the Ningbo Century Jiangtian Import Export Co Ltd parts.

falko89

Wig wrote: »

No, I wouldn't say thay was genuine vauxhall GM part. It is designed to be misleading. They say "GM parts numbers are for reference only."

I know they also say "original equipment" but that could mean anything and I doubt you would have any comeback when you get sent the Ningbo Century Jiangtian Import Export Co Ltd parts.

I did wonder about that, I am going to use Eurocar parts for my bits and pieces.

Wig

Go to a backstreet garage (where the taxis go, ask a taxi driver who he uses) even some backstreets are rip off merchants. The garage should be able to get you a TB kit for about the same money you can (they buy it from the local motor factors cheaper than you could so they may add a bit on.) Check all your local motorfactors, I find the prices vary wildly between my local factors, and ask what the brand is.

I would be suspicious of a garage who said "get your own parts it will be cheaper". But that doesn't mean I wouldn't supply my own parts to a trusted well known taxi mechanic - which is what I used to do all the time for convenience for me and the garage.

Wongsky

Wig wrote: »

No, I wouldn't say thay was genuine vauxhall GM part. It is designed to be misleading. They say "GM parts numbers are for reference only."

I know they also say "original equipment" but that could mean anything and I doubt you would have any comeback when you get sent the Ningbo Century Jiangtian Import Export Co Ltd parts.

A couple of years back, I wanted some parts for a car I owned then. Parts were ignition related (dissy cap and rotor arm) and as many companies sold pattern parts, I was after OEM parts, really (OEM in this instance was Bosch).

So I went to trusty old google, and put in my search, specifying Bosch, and the first (I suspect either sponsored or SEO tweaked) hit I got back was a company stating they supplied Bosch parts, searched for the bits I wanted, which were specified / described as Bosch, price was reassuringly more expensive than the pattern parts sold by the usual suspects, so I ordered and paid.

A few days later, the parts arrived, both were pattern, and the same make of parts sold by the other, normal websites for these parts were selling them for around 60% of the price I paid for these.

So I saved screenshots of the parts I'd ordered from their website, then rang them up - they were singularly rude, and in denial of the problem, replying that they weren't falsely advertising these parts, they were merely "Bosch-type"...

They said I could return them for refund, but return postage costs would have to be borne by me, as I'd "changed my mind". They ended up putting the phone down on me, so next step was trading standards, and I provided links to the items I'd ordered, they agreed with me completely, and advised me what to do - the normal, letter sent, giving them 7 days (or whatever it was) to sort this out.

Anyway, I returned the parts and did manage to get a full refund, plus my return costs, but in the meantime, the supposed boss / owner of the company rang me (I suspect the company wasn't really as big as boasted, because I'm sure I'd spoken to him when I first rang to complain) and the torrent of abuse and foul language he unloaded were staggering for somebody who supposedly traded as significantly as he claimed. It was the biggest surprise to me, I would never have expected such contact from a company trading like that, to a customer.

He was ranting and raving, swearing, insulting me, insulting he car I was buying parts for (a large-ish, Scandinavian car, although a few years old, hardly an old banger), saying that the parts weren't falsely advertised, to which I replied - "Well if you didn't mean to mislead, why not just state the actual make of the parts in the description, then there couldn't possibly be any misunderstanding..." but oh, no, that was simply my mistake... it was perfectly reasonable not to include any other make, and state that they were simply "Bosch" when what they really meant, was copies of Bosch, but make by some other company, selling them for almost double what the other usual suspects were (same make).

So I think it's fair to say, there's some sharp practices going on with how parts are advertised / described, and you can't always go off the price, to be another factor in consideration that it may be the make / quality you want.

Plus, it's staggering how unprofessional some e-traders can be, to the degree that they can be abusive and offensive over the phone, merely for having the audacity to simply want what was advertised, rather than sent, and if they didn't send me that, I hadn't just "changed my mind" I didn't get what I ordered.